CEO Mahesh Madhavan also talks about the decline in drinking among young people, and how that is affecting the company’s products

Jennifer Maloney

Before the coronavirus outbreak, Bacardi Ltd. Chief Executive Mahesh Madhavan was grappling with a fundamental problem for the spirits industry: A new generation of consumers was drinking far less than their parents did

Now he’s facing another challenge. A pandemic has closed bars and restaurants around the world, prompting a rise in online alcohol purchases and worries that consumer behavior may be forever changed. For now, though, Mr. Madhavan is forging ahead with strategies Bacardi put in place before the crisis. Among...